Roman window shade systems and assemblies include a shade and/or a backing fabric that is adapted to fold into a plurality of horizontal pleats as the shade is opened. The pleats are formed using rigid battens or sewn-in dowels or combinations of such elements. FIG. 1 shows a photograph of a side view of an example roman shade 10 in a fully opened position. In this opened position, the shade 10, which typically disposed on the back of the assembly toward a window (not shown), forms a plurality of folds, e.g., 12, 14, 16, and the battens, e.g., 22, 24, 26 to which they are coupled are collectively drawn into a backwards-J configuration. As the folds are compressed and forced backwards, they may come into contact with the window surface and accumulate condensation, and the contact with the window, trim and/or walls will push the stack of battens forward. For this reason, and also because the shade assembly can become unsightly and otherwise difficult to manipulate and release when the folds 12, 14, 16 become bunched in the manner shown, it would be useful to provide a means for a roman shade assembly to be opened fully without becoming distended in this disadvantageous way.